Pierre grabs opening-day lead in state Class A girls tennis tourney

Roger Merriam, Watertown Public Opinion
·7 min read
Amelia Pederson of Milbank is one of the many players who began competition Thursday in the state Class A high school girls tennis tournament at Rapid City.
Amelia Pederson of Milbank is one of the many players who began competition Thursday in the state Class A high school girls tennis tournament at Rapid City.

RAPID CITY — Pierre advanced all six singles players and all three doubles teams into the semifinals to grab the opening-day lead in the state Class A high school girls tennis tournament.

The Governors scored 300 points to lead Sioux Falls Christian (271) and St. Thomas More (252) heading in Tuesday's final day in the 11-team tourney. Huron is fourth with 238.

Sioux Falls Christian advanced five singles players and all three of its doubles teams into the semifinals and St. Thomas More six singles and two doubles teams. Huron pushed three singles players and two doubles teams into the semis, but will likely need help to catch any of the top three teams.

This is the fourth year of Class A as part of a two-class system in South Dakota. St. Thomas More won the one-class state title in 2015. Pierre and Sioux Falls Christian are each seeking their first state titles.

There are no defending singles or doubles champions in the field. The only returning champions back this fall came from Mitchell and Yankton, who have moved up to Class AA and will compete in that state tournament on Thursday and Friday, also at the Parkview Tennis Courts and Sioux Park Tennis Complex in Rapid City

Monday's Results

Team Scores: 1. Pierre, 300; 2. Sioux Falls Christian, 271; 3. St. Thomas More, 252; 4. Huron, 238; 5. Rapid City Christian, 180; 6. Vermillion, 162; 7. Spearfish, 127.5; 8. Lennox, 120; 9. Aberdeen Roncalli, 199.5; 10. Madison,116; 11. Milbank, 70.

Singles

FIRST FLIGHT

First Round: Riley Geyer, RCC, def. Katherine Kretchman, ABR, 6-3, 5-7, 10-8; Madison Buehner, LEN, def. Elsa Johnson, SFC, 206, 604, 13-11; Kate Mondloch, SPE, def. Abby Hanson, VER, 2-6, 6-4, 10-4.

Quarterfinals: Athenia Francilisco, STM, def. Geyer, 6-0, 6-2; AnneClaire Rubish, HUR, def. Hope Karels, MIL, 6-2, 6-0; Evelyn Graham, MAD, def. Buehner, 4-6, 7-5, 10-3; Sydney Tedrow, PIE, def. Mondloch, 6-4, 6-0. Semifinals on Tuesday: Francilisco vs. Rubish, Graham vs. Tedrow.

Fifth Place Semis: Karels won by default over Geyer; Mondloch def. Buehner, 10-3.

Consolation Semifinals: Kretchman bye; Johnson def. Hanson, 10-1.

SECOND FLIGHT

First Round: Ava Iszler, SPE, def. Grace Dressen, LEN, 7-5, 6-2; River Haskell, ABR, def. Elsie Seffrood, MIL, 6-1, 6-3; Savannah Shipley, MAD, def. Ciera Crawford, RCC, 6-1, 1-6, 10-7.

Quarterfinals: Kara Weiss, PIE, def. Iszler, 6-1, 6-0; Shriya Gangineni, STM, def. Elizabeth Heinen, HUR, 6-4, 6-2; Annika Barnett, VER, def. Haskell, 6-7 (6), 6-2, 10-3; Ellie Lounsbery, SFC, def. Shipley, 6-2, 6-1. Semifinals on Tuesday: Weiss vs. Gangineni, Barnett vs. Lousbery.

Fifth-Place Semis: Heinen def. Iszler, 10-5; Haskell def. Shipley, 10-8.

Consolation Semifinals: Dressen, bye; Crawford def. Seffrood, 10-1.

THIRD FLIGHT

First Round: Courtney Sandal, LEN, def. Ella Iszler, SPE, 6-3, 7-5; Amelia Pederson, MIL, def. Mya Halverson, VER, 6-3, 6-2; Raley Haskell, ABR, def. Delilah Maxwell, MAD, 7-6 (11), 6-2.

Quarterfinals: Marlee Shorter, PIE, def. Sandall, 6-2, 6-0; Katelyn Denholm, STM, def. Bianca Medina, HUR, 6-2, 6-1; Karly Doom, SFC, def. Pederson, 6-1, 6-3; Allison Hill, RCC, def. Haskell, 6-1, 6-0. Semfinals on Tuesday: Shorter vs. Denholm, Doom vs. Hill.

Fifth-Place Semis: Medina def. Sandal, 10-5; Pederson def. Haskell, 10-7.

Consolation Semifinals: Iszler, bye; Halverson def. Maxwell, 10-7.

FOURTH FLIGHT

First Round: Lindsey Huck, SPE def. Anna Mitzell, ABR, 7-6 (3), 7-6 (5); Sienna Maxwell, MAD, def. Ashlynn Lamp, MIL, 6-3, 6-1; Katie Palmer, RCC, def. Brooklyn Buehner, LEN, 6-2, 6-1.

Quarterfinals: Jocelyn Corrales, PIE, def. Huck, 6-0, 6-1; Halle Karmazin, SFC, def. Bethany Engelhart, HUR, 6-3, 6-2; Sophia Meyer, STM, def. Maxwell, 6-0, 6-3; Kasey Hanson, VER, def. Palmer, 6-3, 6-3. Semifinals on Tuesday: Corrales vs. Karmazin; Meyer vs. Hanson.

Fifth-Place Semis: Engelhart def. Huck, 10-3; Palmer def. Maxwell, 10-8.

Consolation Semifinals: Mitzel, bye; Buehner def. Lamp, 10-4.

FIFTH FLIGHT

First Round: Jenna Kjorstjens, MIL, def. Allie Mondloch, SPE, 6-0, 6-2; Keira Rivett, ABR, def. Miranda Gonyo, MAD, 6-4, 6-1; Saige Jorgensen, VER, def. Jaiden Stien, LEN, 6-0, 6-2.

Quarterfinals: Say Ma, HUR, def. Korstjens, 6-2, 6-0; Tetiana Ryherd, RCC, def. Amity Strand, SMT, 6-1, 6-2; Anna Westenberg, SFC, def. Rivett, 6-3, 6-3; Kourtney Walti, PIE, def. Jorgensen, 6-0, 6-1. Semifinals on Tuesday: May vs. Strand, Westenberg vs Walti.

Fifth-Place Semis: Ryherd def. Korstjens, 10-2; Jorgensen def. Rivett, 6-0, 6-1.

Consolation Semifinals: Mondloch, bye; Stien def. Gonyo, 10-7.

SIXTH FLIGHT

First Round: Ava Berberick, SPE, def. Kathryn Loewe, LEN, 6-3, 6-1; Monica Whitman, RCC, def. Caitlyn Frerichs, MIL, 6-1, 6-0; Mia Barnett, VER, def. Josie Mitzel, AR, 7-6 (9), 6-4.

Quarterfinals: Emily Westenberg, SFC, def. Berbericki, 6-2, 6-0l Madison Schmahl, STM, def. Christian Rowe, MAD, 4-6, 7-5, 10-4; Ann Hoek, HUR, def. Whitman, 6-4, 7-5; Caitlin Ott, PIE, def. Barnett, 6-1, 6-0. Semifinals on Tuesday: Westenberg vs. Schmahl, Hoek vs. Ott.

Fifth-Place Semis: Berberick def. Rowe, 10-9 (2); Whitrman def. Barnett, 10-4.

Consolation Semifinals: Loewe, bye; Mitzel def. Frerichs, 10-7.

DOUBLES

FIRST FLIGHT

First Round: K Mondlock-L. Huck, SPE, def. M. Heidecker/C. Crawford, RCC, 6-4, 6-1; E. Graham-S. Maxwell, MAD, def. H. Karels-E. Seffrood, MIL, 6-4, 6-1; M. Buehner-G. Dressen, LEN, def. K. Kretchman-R. Haskell, ABR, 0-6, 6-2, 10-3.

Quarterfinals: S. Tedrow-K. Weiss, PIE, def. Mondlock-Huck 6-1, 6-2; A. Barnett-M. Halverson, VER, def. K. Denholm-S. Meyer, STM, 5-7, 6-4, 10-7; E. Johnson-K. Doom, SFC, def. Graham-Maxwell, 6-4 7-6 (5); A. Rubish-E. Heinen, HUR, def. Buehner-Dressen, 6-0, 6-0. Semifinals on Tuesday: Tedrow-Weiss vs. Barnett-Halverson, Johnson-Doom vs. Rubish-Heinen.

Consolation Semifinals: Heidecker-Crawford, bye; Kretchman-Haskell, def. Karels-Seffrood, 8-2.

SECOND FLIGHT

First Round: R. Haskell-A. Mitzel, ABR, def. A. Lamp-A. Pederson, MIL, 6-2, 2-6, 10-7; D. Maxwell-S. Shipley, MAD, def. B. Medina-B. Engelhart, HUR, 1-6, 7-6 (4), 10-6; C.. Sandall-J. Stien, LEN, def. A. Iszler-E. Iszler, SPE, 7-5, 0-6, 12-10.

Quarterfinals: E. Lounsbery, H. Karmazin, SFC, def. Haskell-Mitzell, 6-1, 65-0; A.Hill-K. Palmer, RCC, def. A. Hanson-K. Hanson, VER, 6-4, 6-2; M. Shorter-K. Walti, PIE, def. Maxwell-Shipley, 6-2, 6-4; Francilisco-Gangineni, STM< def. Sandall-Stien, 6-0, 6-1. Semifinals on Tuesday: Lounsbery-Karmazin vs. Hill-Palmer, Shorter-Walti vs. Francilisco-Gangineni.

Consolation Semifinals: Lamp-Pederson, bye; Medina-Engelhart def. Iszler-Iszler, 8-6.

THIRD FLIGHT

First Round: A. Mondloch-A. Gill, SPE, def. B. Buehner-K. Loewe, LEN, 6-4, 6-4; E. Auen-D. Smidt, VER, def. K. Rivett-J. Mitzel, SFR, 6-1, 6-4; T. Ryherd-M. Whitman, RCC, def. C. Frerichs-J. Korstjens, MIL, 6-2, 6-0.

Quarterfinals: S. Ma-A. Hoek, HUR, def. Mondloch-Gill, 6-2, 6-1; A. Strand-M. Schmahl, STM, def. C. Rowe-M. Gonyo, MAD, 6-0, 6-2; J. Corrales-C. Ott, PIE, def. Auen-Smidt, 6-2, 6-0; A. Westenberg-J. TenHaken, SFC, def. Ryherd-Whitman, 6-4, 6-3. Semifinals on Tuesday: Ma-Hoek vs. Strand-Schmahl, Corrales-Ott vs. Westenberg-TenHaken.

Consolation Semifinals: Buehner-Loewe, bye; Rivett-Mitzel def. Frerichs-Korstjens, 8-4.

This article originally appeared on Watertown Public Opinion: Pierre, Sioux Falls Christian and St. Thomas More battling for title.